The Big Auction Has Outlived Its Usefulness: KKR CEO Venky Mysore

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore criticised the concept of mega auctions in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The IPL 2022 retention list is out with most of the teams having retained four players, which was the maximum limit set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Senior KKR players Sunil Narine, Andre Russell retained

KKR has retained Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Chakravarthy for IPL 2022.

The IPL 2022 will see the addition of two new franchises (from Ahmedabad and Lucknow). The majority of players will go under the hammer which brings another grand auction in the cash-rich league, just like the one in IPL 2011.

You have to reward franchises investing in scouting and academies: Venky Mysore

Mysore said that a big auction is not the best option for a massive change in the cash-rich league. He also said that franchises must be credited for hunting and grooming young players.

“There is a tipping point that’s coming for the league where you have to question whether a big auction is really something that needs to be part of this whole process.

“Or you can do drafts for new players coming in, you can do trades, you can do loans and allow teams to build something for the long haul,” Mysore told ESPNcricinfo.

“Directionally at this stage, if you ask me, since the league has completed 14 years, the big auction has outlived its usefulness. And you have to reward franchises investing in scouting and academies, in growth. We have done that with KKR Academy and we have our scouting structure, both domestic (and) international,” Mysore added.

KKR ended as runners-up to CSK in IPL 2021 after losing the final by 27 runs. KKR will look for a new leader after they released skipper Eoin Morgan and his deputy Dinesh Karthik.

Players like Shubman Gill, Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Kuldeep Yadav and Rahul Tripathi were also released by the franchise.

Also Read: Extremely Grateful To KKR Management For Putting Faith In Me, Says Venkatesh Iyer